They both grew up in Wasilla and they've known each other for some 40 years since they attended the same elementary school. Each is an ambitious, outspoken, competitive, conservative, God-fearing, married, working mom with five kids. They live seven miles apart in a state whose area is so vast that it exceeds that of Texas, California and Wyoming combined.
Both are former beauty pageant contestants. Sarah won the Miss Wasilla contest and finished second in Miss Alaska; Kristan (whom Sarah calls "Krissy") was Miss Alaska and then Mrs. Alaska a few years later. In the more-than-you-want-to-know category, according to one hairstylist I know, they both wear as-seen-on-TV "Bumpits" hair lifts. When two women have so much in common and such a long shared history, it lays the foundation for a strong friendship.
But most female friendships, even the best of them, don't last forever---so the two best friends could have easily drifted apart as their lives and career paths diverged. Sarah, 45, pursued a career in politics, first as a mayor and then as a governor and a vice-presidential candidate while Kristan, 47, built a small but successful real estate business, heading up a team of 15 people. On her Facebook profile, Kristan "only shares certain information with everyone," including the names of her friends; Sarah has more than 620,000 "supporters." Kristan has remained intimately involved in Palin's affairs as a supporter, campaign donor, and spokesperson. She is a trustee of The Alaska Fund Trust, Sarah and Todd Palin's legal defense fund.
As Governor, Sarah (never daunted by controversy) named her BFF to the Alaska Board of Agriculture and Conservation, an appointed regulatory position that serves at the pleasure of the Governor. In September 2008, when the McCain-Palin campaign launched a "Truth Squad" to combat the liberal media and dirty Democrats, Kristan was named to the Squad. Recently, Kristan assumed the awkward role of interpreting her pal's bewildering resignation speech to the national press.
It's hard to understand what makes some friendships stick while others fall apart. For better or worse, Sarah and Kristin remain BFFs. Shared history? Shared values? Loyalty? Trust? Maybe all of the above.
Irene S. Levine, PhD is a freelance journalist and author. She holds an appointment as a professor of psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine and her book about female friendships, Best Friends Forever: Surviving A Breakup With Your Best Friend, will be published by Overlook Press in September, 2009. She recently co-authored Schizophrenia for Dummies (Wiley, 2008). She also blogs about female friendships at The Friendship Blog.
Not enough professional people.
BFF Kristan (whom Sarah calls "Krissy") was Miss Alaska and then Mrs. Alaska a few years later?
That answers it, maybe Krissy should have been governor!
Enough.
http://www.andrewhalcro.com/palins_agriculture_board_got_fraud
Just for kicks you may want to also do the google on "kristan cole mother embezzlement".
She sure had a pretty good deal going for herself and could have continued if McCain and her ambitions hadnt of got in the way! Darn good deal going!
Who Sarah Palin's friends are and what qualifies one as a friend of Sarah is just one side of the coin. The other side being who are not her friends and why not. That side is more relevant to the public because Sarah heavily relies on friends and acquaintances from her past. This is crucial because no politician especially in a high office can survive by depending only those he or she knows from the past.
Sarah's problem is a heavy reliance on unqualified friends and acquaintances while shunning qualified strangers. Members in the media and public in the state rumbled over this and see it as a sign of weakness. Her first Attorney General was a high school friend. Eventually he was deemed unqualified for the job and forced out of office.
The standing joke in the state has been which school friend will Sarah appoint next?
Now that Palin resigned, the question is no longer pertinent for now but should she be elected for another position in the future, her inability to trust and feel comfortable with people outside of her past works against her. Her combative petulant nature is glossed over as mavericky behavior. The McCain team found out the hard way she is no real maverick. She is uncooperative and unmanageable.
Let's hope voters in the future won't have to learn that lesson.